Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 152045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
“Do I have time for a quick shower?” I ask.
Dad nods. “I’ll pack the cooler.”
“I got the snacks!” James shouts.
But my mom stops him. “You only pack chips.” She wraps an arm around his shoulder, walking him inside the house. “You can help me with the snacks, how about that?”
I just hear his disgusted sound as I follow.
“Mom, not even you want to eat the almonds and carrot sticks you pack,” I tell her.
She argues over her shoulder, “But I still need to put that stuff in there to make it look like I’m a good parent.”
Dad and Jax chuckle behind us.
Dad pulls into the Weston High School parking lot the next morning, dropping me off after I got to sleep in my own bed last night. I’m not sure if spending a day away from the Rebels constitutes a forfeit of the prisoner exchange, but they’re free to kick me back to the Falls if they want. I have every intention of trying to finish the week.
Dad pulls his Mustang Dark Horse up to the curb, one hand on the wheel as he leans down and looks out through my window. Students trail into the building, some slowing and checking out his car as they pass.
“Are you sure you want to stay here?” he asks me.
I open the door. “It’s only a few more nights,” I say, climbing out. “I’ll see you Friday.”
“Got our tickets,” he calls out.
I draw in a long breath. The game. I wasn’t sure which side I was sitting on yet. Guess I know now.
I bend over, peering into the car and smiling at my dad. We didn’t talk about racing yesterday or anything that we still need to hash out, but I wasn’t looking to anyway. I just wanted to go home.
Noah helped a lot.
“Love you,” I say.
“Love you too.”
He shifts into gear, and I slam the door shut, twisting and walking up the stairs.
Students pass, giving me a nod or smile, and I walk into the school, spotting Coral. She’s wearing my jacket now.
“Hey.” She falls in at my side, Mace and Codi following. “Where’d you go off to? Where’s Hunter?”
“What do you mean?”
“He disappeared yesterday, same as you.” She looks around to her friends. “No one’s seen him since.”
He doesn’t have his phone, either. I saw it on the ground when the Pirates tried to take me Saturday night. I think that’s what he threw at Kade’s truck.
“I spent time with my family,” I tell them. “I haven’t seen him.”
His parents were at the parade. They’d know about the fight. If there was something to worry about, we’d know by now.
“Are you okay?” Coral asks.
“Yeah.”
I’m not sure how much they saw or heard, but I’m not talking about it either way. I glance at Coral. “You know I’m getting that jacket back?”
She makes a face, and I laugh.
“Well, she looks better in it.”
But the voice wasn’t Mace’s. I turn my eyes over my shoulder, looking at Codi. “Well, look at you, using your words.”
She beams, glancing at her friends.
She talked to me.
I turn around, all of us heading into class. I’m fine if I never get the jacket back as long as I can see her in it once.
“Essays, please,” Mr. Bastien calls out as we enter.
I dig into the satchel, pulling out two pieces of crisp paper stapled together. I don’t often have homework done on time, but I got a sudden burst of energy after we got home from the air show last night. I wanted to walk back in this school with some paint on my nails and my book report done like I hadn’t missed a step.
“You know,” I say, setting my essay down on the pile, “most teachers in the digital age ask us to submit assignments online. Saves trees.”
He picks up the stack, sifting through. “Any idea how many more hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen your motorcycle pumps out than my car?”
I turn away. “Whatever.”
I hear him snort behind me as I walk to my seat.
Sliding in my chair, I drop my bag to the floor.
“Did you see Kade Caruthers’s post?” Mace whispers next to me.
I dig out the class text that we’ve been discussing. “No.”
“He’s having a pool party this week,” she tells me. “Both teams and their dates are invited.”
“No fights allowed.” Coral leans over my shoulder. “He promised.”
Well, I’m not going to be Kade’s bait to get Hunter there. That’s what the party is really about.
But I look out the window as the bell rings and the football team runs outside, a quick jolt to my nerves when I still don’t see Hunter. Farrow is there. His guys too. They laugh and joke in the parking lot as they make their way to the field, and I start to worry. Like I think I’ll never see him again.